All week long, I’ve been helping my son memorize Psalm 23:1 – “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” We’ve been reminding him that God is his shepherd, and God knows all of his sheep. He knows their needs, their fears, their sicknesses and their sufferings.
Verse 5 of Psalm 23 says, “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.” For us in the church, that table is this table. The table of communion. The table of the eucharist. The table of fellowship. To sit at this table means you are not just God’s acquaintance, invited over for a dinner—you are a member of his family. You have come to live with him.
Notice that God is the one preparing the table, not us. We don’t bring anything to this table but our sin—and that to lay it down and forsake it. And the menu at this table has only two courses. Bread and the cup—symbols of the broken body and shed blood of the table’s host.
And notice that he has prepared the table in the presence of our enemies. The enemy is at the door, yet God has taken time to prepare a meal, set the table, and welcome guests He isn’t in a rush. Though it only takes a moment, this meal isn’t to be eaten hastily. It is to be savored for all of the glory it contains.
So, if you belong to Christ, the table is set and you are summoned to the table. You are to eat in faith, forsaking your sin. And, as you eat, say with the Psalmist:
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
So come, and welcome to Jesus Christ.